The Legion: Heartson

Grace sat on the weathered park bench, her small legs dangling, unable to reach the ground. The world around her was bathed in the golden light of late afternoon, but the warmth of the sun did little to touch her. Her brown eyes softened as they fixed on the scene in front of her.

A boy, just a little boy, sat high on his mother's shoulders. He smiled, his laughter ringing out. The mother's hands clutched his legs tightly, her laughter joining his. Together, they painted a picture of something whole.

For a long moment, Grace stared.

Her fingers curled into the hem of her skirt, and without realizing it, her body rose to move.

Step by step, her small form carried her forward. She didn't know why she moved, nor what she would do when she reached them. But something inside her stretched. Her arms felt heavy, her chest tight, yet she moved anyway.

Closer.

And then, she stopped.

A figure blocked her path. Arms crossed, posture unyielding, Kazuki stood before her.

The old man's dark eyes peered down at Grace. His stance wasn't threatening, but it was resolute.

Grace blinked, her teeth gritting as anger bubbled up.

Grace: Move. 

Kazuki didn't flinch.

Grace: Move, old man!

Kazuki: What'll you do when you get there?

Grace froze. Her breath hitched as the question pierced through her chest. What would she do? She didn't know. Her lips parted, but no words came.

The silence felt heavier than any response could have.

Kazuki: If you don't know, there's no reason to go right?

His voice carried no mockery, no cruelty. Just a simple truth. But it made Grace's frustration increase. She clenched her fists, her face twisting as she took a step forward.

Grace: I don't care! Just move already!

She shoved him—small hands striking against an immovable wall. Kazuki's outstretched hand met her attempt, firm but gentle, halting her advance again.

Grace: Move! I hate you! I hate you! You ruin everything!

Her voice rose in pitch, her chest heaving as tears welled in her eyes.

Grace: I hate this life! I hate traveling with you! I wish you'd never come!

Kazuki didn't move. He didn't speak. He stood there, quiet and immovable, as Grace screamed every bitter word, every jagged fragment of her heart.

Grace: Move out of the way!

Her voice cracked.

Her sobs broke free.

Kazuki sighed. A long, quiet sound that seemed to absorb everything around them.

And then, he moved.

Grace stepped back instinctively as Kazuki approached her, his hand lowering to his side. Her body tensed, her Astral ability flaring to life as she prepared to fight. The air crackled, her anger demanding an outlet.

But Kazuki didn't stop.

Closer.

And then—

He wrapped his arms around her.

Grace's body went still.

The tension vanished, as though the strings holding her together had snapped all at once.

Grace: ――――.

Her voice faltered into silence as she felt Kazuki's arms hold her tight.

She broke.

Her sobs echoed through the empty park. Her tears fell freely as her small hands clutched at Kazuki's coat, as though she were trying to hold herself together.

And through it all, Kazuki held her.

Kazuki: Your soul says something different, little miss.

His voice was low. Soft. Understanding.

Kazuki: You don't have to hold it anymore. All that weight, all those feelings—just let them go.

He stroked her hair as she sobbed, his movements slow and gentle. Grace didn't know how long she cried. Time seemed to stretch, the world outside fading until it was just them.

Kazuki: The past, the things you've done, the person you were... all of that is gone now. What matters is what comes after.

Grace shuddered against him. She could hear the words, but they felt distant, muffled by the weight in her chest.

Kazuki: When you let those feelings go, they don't come back. Just like the things you love that are lost forever, the parts of you that you hated can disappear too.

Kazuki's arms tightened slightly, grounding her.

Kazuki: So cry, Grace. Let it out. Let it all disappear. And when you're done, we'll walk forward. Together.

Her sobs slowed. Her breathing steadied, though tears still trickled down her face. She looked up just in time to see the mother and son disappear from view, their silhouettes fading into the golden light of the setting sun.

She couldn't reach them.

She never could.

And yet, held in Kazuki's embrace, Grace felt something shift. The edges of her pain blurred, just a little.

Kazuki: Together, we'll go forward, free of all that pain.

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Grace tilted her head upward, her eyes fixed on Kazuki. His breathing had steadied, the color returning to his face, though the strain still lingered in his posture. Thanks to her ability, Beta Reversion, she had halted Kazuki's bleeding, as well as return the strength, stamina, and energy he had lost during the battle against Orion.

Grace: 'All we can do now is see how far he can reach…'

Her words, soft and quiet, hung in the air as though seeking confirmation from the silence.

Kazuki rolled his shoulders, the motion casual, dismissive. 

However, before he could utter a single word, a sharp fist collided with his skull.

Kazuki: —Ghuh!

Kazuki stumbled, the blow sending him sprawling to the ground. His head spun from the impact as he groaned, one hand reflexively rubbing his jaw. Squinting up at Grace with a mixture of irritation and confusion, he muttered:

Kazuki: What are you—?

Grace: What am I thinking?

She stood over him, her shoulders trembling as her clenched fists hung rigidly at her sides.

Grace: How could you even think of leaving that kid to die?

Kazuki's brow furrowed, the sting of her words cutting deeper than the pain in his jaw.

Grace: Thomas came all this way for us—for you! And you'd just abandon him?

Her voice cracked, though she pressed on, her frustration spilling out in jagged, uneven waves.

Grace: If you want to leave the past behind, fine! Go ahead and do it! But don't expect me to follow you if all you're going to do is pile up regrets!

Her fists unclenched as her arms fell limply to her sides.

Grace: …If I can keep moving forward, then I will. But I won't leave everything else behind. If I'm in the present, I'd like to minimize my suffering for the future. That's at least a little fair I think.

Her gaze lifted again, fierce and unyielding, and she took a step closer to him.

Grace: If I have to drag your sorry ass with me, Kazuki, then so be it. But we're going, sir, you understand?

For a moment, Kazuki said nothing, his expression unreadable. He rubbed his jaw again, the ache fading as he stood, his gaze never leaving hers.

Then, he laughed.

It was low and soft, the kind of laugh that could almost be mistaken for bitterness. 

Kazuki: Guess I've got more to learn from the youth too, huh.

Grace blinked, her anger momentarily giving way to confusion.

Grace: What the hell does that mean?

Kazuki: Don't worry about it little miss.

With that, he waved her off, the smirk on his face betraying none of the thoughts that lingered behind it.